When 600 state tournament games span 40 brackets in the next week-plus, only one man will have a hand in all of them. And chances are he’ll be relieved if they all go off without a hitch.

The original plan was for two 10-member committees to meet Feb. 13 to map out 20 boys and girls basketball brackets. Then a snowstorm hit, and delayed openings the next day followed.

So Larry White, an NJSIAA assistant director in Robbinsville, did it all himself.

“My first thought was, ‘It’s going to take a long time,” White said of the 16-hour process.

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A power points system, giving weight to victories against schools with larger enrollments and basketball pedigree, guided him. It started three years ago, substituting the old metric of using winning percentage to seed.

Super-conferences and divisions based on balanced competition were culprits, White said. Under the current system, teams with losing records who own attractive power points can make the state tournament. In some cases, they can leapfrog teams with records above .500 for seeds.

Ewing and Trenton Catholic Academy, which met Saturday in the Mercer County Tournament final, are top seeds in their respective brackets. Trenton High is a No. 2 seed. Hightstown, for example, is 9-14, and No. 14 in Central Jersey Group III.

“I know when we beat St. Anthony, even though they’re a small school like us, we got 43 points, which was a lot of points,” said Fred Falchi, co-athletic director and head coach at TCA. “Honestly I don’t really know the ins and outs of the power points thing. If a team does beat a smaller parochial school, as long as they have a decent record I still think you pick up a certain amount of points. I think that’ll get teams wanting to play better competition.”

White said most of the feedback the NJSIAA has received from athletic directors has been positive. The ability to track progress online has gained traction.

“They can go into the system, look at my record and figure out, ‘OK, I saw you beat these teams. They’re Group 4 teams,’” White said. “They pretty much can track the whole system if they wanted to.”

Still, others have reservations. Lawrence head coach Jeff Molinelli thought the Cardinals would play Somerville in the first round in Central Jersey Group III, Lawrence Athletic Director Ken Mason said. Lawrence, a ninth seed, instead takes on Nottingham for the third time this season.

The power points model, Mason said, also doesn’t take into account the competiveness, or lack thereof, between groups.

“I think (the NJSIAA is) doing it that way probably because it’s a simpler way to do it, based on won-loss records and the groups,” Mason said. “Look at Point Pleasant Beach (the top seed in Central Jersey Group I), teams like that that are Group I and have over 20 wins. There’s always going to be controversy on that.”

White says athletic directors think the power points system is a fairer way to gauge teams’ value. Falchi, whose team is a top seed in Non-Public South B for the first time in his memory, says it won’t change his scheduling philosophy.

“I’m just saying for me personally, we just try to play the best competition that there is,” said Falchi, whose co-athletic director, Giancarlo Rotto, handles most dealings with the NJSIAA. “I just feel over the years it helped our kids when they go to college. College basketball’s an entirely different level. Every other day, once you get into your league schedule, you’re playing a good team. … You almost have to be ready all the time.”

Snow again threatens to derail White’s plans. Should snow affect the beginning of tournament play Monday, Groups I and III will play Tuesday, along with Groups II and IV and non-publics. If necessary, teams may have to catch up Sunday.